This invention relates to methods of separating isotopes of an element and in particular to a method of isotope enrichment by separation of an electron rich reaction product from an electron poor reaction product.
An isotope is one of two or more kinds of atoms of an element, which have different mass numbers, that is different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, but the same number of protons. For example hydrogen has three isotopes H.sup.1, H.sup.2 (deuterium), and H.sup.3 (tritium).
In this application, "isotopic compound" shall refer to one or more molecules or atoms or other species of a compound or element which differ from other molecules or atoms or other species of that compound or element in composition of isotopes of a selected element at a selected nucleus or nuclei. For example, in a compound which has only one selected atom of an element of interest per molecule and only one possible isomer of the molecule, the number of isotopic compounds would equal the number of different isotopes of the element present. If there was more than one atom of a selected element per molecule and/or more than one possible isomer, the number of isotopic compounds would be increased by the various possible combinations of different isotopes present and/or different locations of those isotopes in the molecules of the reactant.
In this application, "anion" shall refer to a negative ion of any charge. In this application "cation" shall refer to a positive ion of any charge. In this application, the terms "electron rich reaction product" and "electron poor reaction product" are used to describe two species or two groups of species which differ as a result of electron transfer and to describe, where appropriate, stable derivatives of transitory species of either or both reaction products.
In this application, a transfer of an electron also includes a transfer of charge in an amount equivalent or roughly equivalent to the charge on an electron.
Various procedures have been used to separate isotopes of elements. In diffusion procedures, isotopes incorporated in gases are allowed to diffuse, across a barrier under pressure or across a thermal gradient. Phase related separation procedures are based on an equilibrium between two phases such as gas and liquid. Electrolysis has been used as an isotope separation procedure at least for the production of heavy water. Electromagnetic processes separate ions of isotopes in the same manner as a mass spectrometer. Centrifugation separates isotopes on the basis of mass. Laser procedures separate isotopes by an excitation process followed by electromagnetic separation. Chromatographic procedures separate isotopic species on the basis of differential passage through a chromatographic medium such as a high pressure liquid chromatographic column. Within the column the isotopic species exchange between a fixed phase and a mobile phase at different rates.
These procedures generally have limited applicability, and are involved, time consuming and expensive.
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment that requires a limited amount of equipment.
It is further highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment that has general applicability to separation of isotopes of a large number of elements.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved method of isotope enrichment that can be relatively fast and relatively inexpensive.
It is finally highly desirable to provide a method of isotope enrichment which provides all of these desired features.